This blog was created for Niles Animal Hospital & Bird Medical Center by Peter S. Sakas DVM in an effort to provide information & discussion about animal related issues. It may move into some eccentric directions on occasion if the mood strikes me as I get more comfortable in this form of communication. I am open to suggestions & comments about the blog. Also view our hospital website www.nilesanimalhospital.com or Facebook page Niles Animal Hospital and Bird Medical Center.

Friday, January 6, 2012

Nemo - Viet Nam War Hero Dog

Another in our series of war hero animals. This is the story of "Nemo" a dog war hero from the Viet Nam War. This story is from the "War Dog Hero Site" and the War Dogs Remembered section, where stories are told about these amazing dogs and their sacrifices made in wartime situations.

Airman
2nd.Class Bob Thorneburg and his K-9
Nemo were assigned duty near an old Vietnamese graveyard about a quarter
mile from the
air base's runways. No sooner had
they started their patrol... Nemo alerted on something in the cemetery.
But before Thorneburg
could radio the CSC, that
"something" opened fire.

Thorneburg released his dog and then
charged firing into the enemy.
Nemo was shot and wounded, the
bullet entering under his right eye and exited through his mouth.
Thorneburg killed one VC
before he too was shot in the
shoulder and knocked to the ground.

That might of been the sad
end of the story. But
Nemo refused to give in without a
fight. Ignoring his serious head wound, the 85 pound dog threw himself
at the Vietcong guerrillas
who had opened fire. Nemo's
ferocious attack brought Thorneburg the time he needed to call in backup
forces.

A Quick
Reaction Team arrived and swept the
area but found no other Viet Cong. However, security forces, using
additional sentry dog
teams, located and killed four more
Viet Cong. A second sweep with the dog teams resulted in discovery of
four more Viet Cong
who were hiding underground. They,
too, were killed.

Although severely wounded, Nemo crawled to his
master and covered
him with his body. Even after help
arrived Nemo would not allow anyone to touch Thorneburg. Finally
separated, both were taken
back to the base for medical
attention. Thorneburg was wounded a second time on the return to the
base.

Lt. Raymond
T. Hutson, the base vet, worked
diligently to save Nemo's life. It required many skin grafts to restore
the animal's appearance.
Nemo was blinded in one eye, After
the veterinarian felt Nemo was well enough, the dog was put back on
perimeter duty. But
it turned out his wounds needed
further treatment.

On June 23, 1967, Air Force Headquarters
directed that Nemo be
returned to the United States with
honors, as the first sentry dog to be officially retired from active
service.

Thorneburg
had to be evacuated to the hospital
at Tachikawa Air Base in Japan to recuperate. The handler and the dog
who saved his life
said their final goodbyes. Airman
Thorneburg fully recovered from his wounds and also returned home with
honors.

Nemo
flew halfway around the world
accompanied by returning airman Melvin W. Bryant. The plane touched down
in Japan, Hawaii and
California. At each stop, Air Force
vets would examined the brave dog for signs of discomfort, stress and
fatigue...after
all he was a War Hero!

Finally,
the C-124 Globemaster touched down at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, on
July 22, 1967.
Captain Robert M. Sullivan, was the
officer in charge of the sentry dog training program at Lackland, and
was the head of
Nemo's welcome home committee.

"I
have to keep from getting involved with individual dogs in this
program," Sullivan
said, "but I can't help feeling a
little emotional about this dog. He shows how valuable a dog is to his
handler in staying
alive."

After settling in
Nemo and Captain Sullivan made a number of cross country tours and
television appearances,
as part of the Air Force's
recruitment drive for more war dog candidates, until the US involvement
in Vietnam started to wind
down.

Nemo spent his
retirement at the Department of Defense Dog Center, Lackland AFB, Texas.
He was given a permanent
kennel near the veterinary facility.
A sign with his name, serial number, and details of his heroic exploit
designated his
freshly painted home.

Nemo died December 1972 at Lackland AFB, shortly before the Christmas holiday: after a failed
attempt to preserve his remains,
the Vietnam War hero was laid to rest on March 15, 1973, at the DoD Dog
Center, at the
age of 11. Until then, his presence
at Lackland reminded students just how important a dog is to his handler
- and to the
entire unit.